Likable comedy murder mystery. Gloria Mundy (Goldie Hawn) gets involved with an assassination attempt. Cop Chevy Chase is hired to protect her. There's more to the plot but that's the basics.

This is a beautiful movie--shot on location in San Francisco. The stars are likable; the script is interesting, if all little too confusing and there are many funny--and suspenseful--moments throughout. I saw this back in 1978 and loved it and it still holds up beautifully. A lot of people says this plagiarizes Hitchcock. It does a little but it's so entertaining it doesn't really matter.

Chase is good in his first film after leaving "Saturday Night Live" and Hawn is just delightful. There's also strong support from Burgess Meredith, Brian Dennehy and Dudley Moore. Also there are some beautiful shots of San Francisco all through the movie. And it starts off great with the Barry Manilow song "Ready To Take A Chance Again". Just basically a great big fun commercial film. Well worth catching. I'm only giving it a 9 because it IS a little too long.

Chevy Chase is not a great comedian, at least not anymore, but at one point in his career he WAS funny. He had talent. This film proves it. Although most of us today remember him fondly as the dad from the "Vacation" movies, he plays a different type of character here, and it is effective. He's still humorous (I've never seen him play a 100% serious dramatic role) but less stupid than usual, and his character - a police officer - calls for a more realistic attitude.

He's assigned to help Goldie Hawn's character in the film, who is being pursued by an albino and the Catholic church after a microchip is given to her by a dying man on the street. After a failed assassination attempt, she calls the police, but only Chase believes her.

Hawn lives in an apartment building maintained by the late Burgess Meredith. This was two years after the success of "Rocky" and Meredith was making a name for himself with the younger crowds. The film, as a result, lends him a solid role that he fulfills.

The film isn't an uproarious comedy but it is very entertaining and occasionally quite funny. Best viewed late at night on the weekend.

I first saw "Foul Play" on TV when I was 7 or 8. In the scene where Gloria Mundy (Goldie Hawn) goes to Stanley Tibbits' (Dudley Moore) apartment, I think that my mind sort of went blank. My eyes didn't really perk up until Chevy Chase appeared a few minutes later.

Then, when I was 11, I saw it again and totally understood everything: Dudley Moore had "Stayin' Alive" playing; it helps if you see "Saturday Night Fever" before "Foul Play". As it was, when I was 7 or 8, I knew who Chevy Chase was - but not Goldie Hawn.

Anyway, it's a pretty funny movie. The plot centers on Gloria Mundy uncovering what may be an assassination plot, and Det. Tony Carlson (Chase) has to protect her. Both cast members are, well, themselves: Hawn is ditsy, while Chase is a klutz. Maybe it's not any kind of masterpiece, but still worth seeing.